Vegas to Host a Yearlong Beer Festival

Some of the beer that will be available at the yearlong Las Vegas World Beer Fest. (photo by Steve Spatafore)

Elvis did it. Celine Dion did it. Barry Manilow’s doing it. And now craft beer has signed on for a long-term engagement in Las Vegas.

The Las Vegas World Beer Fest will kick off October 13, 2011, in Sin City. Organizers say “the international Oktoberfest-styled showcase of micro brews, stouts, ales and more” will be open every Thursday through Sunday for a year, and they expect a million visitors. There’s already a website where people can buy tickets and branded merchandise, including an official Beer Fest cowboy hat.

There are no specifics yet on what brews will be offered, other than there will be 500 different ones each week from 100 different “beer vendors.” Food, live music and beer games are also promised.

More details will be released in the future, and Road Trips for Beer will try to stay on top of it because, frankly, this looks like it could be a hell of a good time and a big part of any road trip to Vegas.

Here’s the news release from the organizers:

The Entertainment Capital of the World will let the good times flow with “Las Vegas World Beer Fest,” an international Oktoberfest-styled showcase of micro brews, stouts, ales and more—open every Thursday through Sunday for one year beginning October 13.

Aficionados, enthusiasts and those who simply enjoy a cold one will have access to more than 500 different beers from 100 different brew masters across the globe, including Germany, Belgium and the U.S.

“The Las Vegas World Beer Fest will bring together brands not often found in the United States, such as Dieu Du Ciel, Budvar and Wesvleteren,” said organizer Patrick Gagnon, president of Patrick Gagnon Signature, an event management agency from Montréal, Canada. “And because the festival is every weekend, there will always be new beers from different companies and countries to enjoy.”

Gagnon anticipates more than one million visitors during the festival’s first year.

In addition to extensive selection of beers, Las Vegas World Beer Fest will feature live performances from Las Vegas-based and international bands, an above ground swimming pool to keep patrons cool during the summer months, an above ground spa, freshly-made food, and celebrities from the United States behind some of the taps.

“Las Vegas, with its energy, amenities and mixture of adventurous tourists, is the ideal city for a year-long festival,” Gagnon said. “I think the only city that could compete with Las Vegas and an event like this is Munich. Their Oktoberfest is 16 days and receives two million visitors each year.”

Beginning October 13, Las Vegas World Beer Fest will be open every week, Thursday through Sunday, from noon to 11 p.m. The event will be located at the southwest corner of Flamingo and Koval, behind Bally’s. The entrance fee is $10 and only 5,000 tickets will be available per day. Package deals including food and beer tastings are also available.

For further information, to purchase advanced tickets and for details on becoming a vendor, visit www.WBFLV.com.